When we drink alcohol, it affects all aspects of our health and wellbeing – from our sleep and energy levels to stress and anxiety, through to accidents – and over time, increases in our risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and in some cases, even death. But while alcohol harm impacts so many of us, it affects men and women differently.
Our Alcohol Harm Across the Drinking Spectrum report shows links between alcohol consumption and a wide range of health issues, even at ‘low risk’ levels, and more so among men. We also know that men are also more likely to die because of liver disease, and that death by suicide among men who have experienced alcohol harm is also high. Deaths from alcohol are higher among men, and have been rising since the pandemic, as the below chart shows. Alcohol is therefore one of the biggest issues facing men’s health – particularly in more deprived regions - and that’s why we support a Men’s Health Strategy.
Women experience other health issues relating to alcohol. This includes higher rates of anxiety, issues relating to pregnancy and reproductive health, and conditions such as breast cancer. Liver disease also tends to progress more quickly in women than in men. The Women’s Health Strategy for England includes several welcome references to alcohol. We need to see this updated in light of recent data.
From past to present, research suggests men drink more alcohol than women. In the latest NHS Health Survey for England, men were twice as likely to have exceeded 14 units of alcohol in the last week (32% of men, versus 15% of women). In addition, a greater proportion of men than women fall into the highest risk category (above 50 units for men and 35 units for women per week): 6% of men were in this higher risk group, compared to 4% of women.
Women’s alcohol consumption has, however, been increasing in recent years, particularly among older age groups.
Age is a big factor in how much men drink. As you can see from the below, the number of units consumed has stayed fairly stable – but there’s been huge polarisation. Currently, men aged 65-74 (orange) and 75+ (blue) are consuming much more alcohol than before.
This is important because as we age, alcohol impacts us more, particularly if we have long-term health conditions. This means that even low-level alcohol consumption takes its toll. What’s more, older men appear to be drinking more at all levels of consumption than in the past.
Addressing this should be a key part of the Men’s Health Strategy – particularly challenging stigma and breaking down barriers to older men seeking help.
In 2022, 16–24-year-old men were more likely to be non-drinkers than women their age. You can see the huge spike in the graph below. It’s suggested that factors such as the lockdown during the pandemic, the cost-of-living, increased pressure to succeed and a focus on health and fitness among young men are driving this trend. We do also see this trend among young women.
But among almost all age groups of men, and especially since the pandemic, we can see evidence that the heaviest drinkers seem to be drinking more.
In fact, as you can see from the chart in point three, the mean (average) units consumed among 16-24 year olds was falling until the pandemic, but has since risen – at the same time as a sharp rise in non-drinkers. This implies that heavier drinkers are driving this, which is really concerning.
Data also tells us that even though young people are less likely to drink than any other age group, when they do drink, consumption on their heaviest drinking day tends to be higher than other ages. So it would be a huge mistake to focus the strategy only on older men – we need to tackle alcohol harm across the spectrum, and among all age groups.
Contrary to stereotypes, the data suggests more deprived men generally drink less.
We like to think our health is down to individual actions, but circumstances and environment, such as access to healthcare services and the places we live, matter hugely. So, despite the most deprived group consuming less alcohol, they face unequal outcomes, even when they drink less.
This is known as the alcohol harm paradox. It is one factor behind the increase in deaths.
The Government has committed to tackling regional health inequalities. Tackling alcohol harm is mission-critical: alcohol is a risk factor in all three of the biggest killers which the Government has identified, and is the second biggest cause of premature death among people aged 16-49.
The inclusion of alcohol in this consultation is really welcome and shows that we’re gearing up to tackle alcohol harm among men. It goes without saying that we also need to see the same level of ambition for women.
This strategy must sit alongside other work. For instance, the Health Mission Delivery Board’s alcohol plan is set to focus on ‘primary prevention’ - including pricing, which can prevent harm in the first place. Policies like Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) will help prevent deaths, particularly among men. In Scotland, evidence suggests the introduction of MUP led to a reductions in deaths and alcohol-specific hospitalisations among men and people living in the most deprived areas. The 10 Year Plan for the NHS is set to look at secondary and tertiary prevention (stopping harm getting worse). Better detection, such as outreach from treatment services, and screening for liver disease, will be crucial.
Ultimately, the most helpful thing we can see from this strategy is political leadership. The rising number of alcohol deaths - which will get worse without action - is the result of political choices made over the last decade. By tackling stigma head on, we can start to turn the dial, for men and women.
Alcohol Change UK will be responding the consultation – please get in touch with us via [email protected] to share your thoughts. You can also respond to the consultation yourself using the below link.
The 12-week public consultation, launched by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), welcomes input and evidence to shape the strategy for tackling the drivers of ill health among men in the UK. You can respond here. The consultation closes on 17 July 2025.
